Author Topic: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa  (Read 2614 times)

archaeoroutes

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #30 on: 10:56:05, 21/02/21 »
If you want cheap and lightweight... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvvdLVUJXZc
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ayjay

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #31 on: 11:10:03, 21/02/21 »
Does no-one use a Kelly Kettle?

 I don't: I have a Trangia set, but I've thought about getting one in the past.

Peak

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #32 on: 13:07:45, 21/02/21 »
GWF,
I have both 30 & 50m burners, the choice is yours, but with the 50m you would be able to store more fuel in it before your trip begins. For a basic pot stand the Speedster Heavy duty stand is what you may be looking for, that combined with a foil windshield and your ali pots should be fine for boiling water and heating food.

Peak

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #33 on: 13:10:00, 21/02/21 »
I think of a Kelly Kettle as more of a bushcrafters thing.

richardh1905

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #34 on: 13:35:10, 21/02/21 »
I inherited a Kelly Kettle a few years ago - sold it on the Orkney Merkit Place facebook pages as I had absolutely no use for it. Far too cumbersome for taking on a long walk.
« Last Edit: 13:43:36, 21/02/21 by richardh1905 »
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richardh1905

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #35 on: 13:41:57, 21/02/21 »
GWM - you will need a windshield to go with the alcohol stove - the speedster combined potstand/windshield looks like a good piece of kit, although I have made my own out of two beer cans and a BBQ skewer.


I have ordered the 30ml burner as all I want to do is boil a mug of water for tea or noodles. If you want to actually cook rather than just boil water, then you might be better off considering gas as it is so controllable, and use aluminium pots (which you already have) instead of titanium, as very thin metal + poor thermal conductivity = hot spots + burnt food!  :P
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richardh1905

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #36 on: 13:48:02, 21/02/21 »
Good thing about the Speedster stove is 1) cheap as chips and 2) you can put the lid on and keep any unused alcohol without the faff of pouring it back into bottles.  Only difference is I tend to go for a long handled spoon and a ferro rod instead of a lighter.


The tight sealing lid is what made me decide to buy the speedster burner, as my home made one, as well as being as bit large for a 100mm diameter mug, has a lid that does not seal.


Thought about a spoon but no good for noodles! And I didn't realise that a ferro rod could be used with meths - will give it a try.
« Last Edit: 14:32:10, 21/02/21 by richardh1905 »
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Peak

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #37 on: 14:00:57, 21/02/21 »
RichardH,
Yes, ferro rod will work but sometimes a bit of a faff, mini Bic lighter most of the time for me.

richardh1905

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #38 on: 14:33:03, 21/02/21 »
RichardH,
Yes, ferro rod will work but sometimes a bit of a faff, mini Bic lighter most of the time for me.


Thanks - don't like faff so will stick with the lighter.
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windyrigg

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #39 on: 14:39:41, 21/02/21 »
I've got a Kelly Kettle, super efficient; start the fire with a screwed up sheet of paper, twigs and dry stems stuffed down the chimney and it boils water for a cuppa faster than the kettle at home. The only real downside is the size of the thing, and I suppose I rely on finding fuel onsite. Never go fishing without it, but cant see anyone using one hillwalking , unless perhaps at a 'base camp' near the car.

GoneWest

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #40 on: 14:46:25, 21/02/21 »
My casual stove of choice is an empty baked bean can (small size). Holes drilled around the cylinder just above the base (to let the air in) and just below the open top (to let the smoke, etc, out when there's a pan, or whatever, effectively closing the top).


I have a cheap, lightweight steel mug to use as a pan with this and it's fuelled with hexamine tablets.

The more robust version (for when I actually expect to do more than make a cup of tea) features a heavier-gauge mug - or a light cookset if camping - and a simple cylinder-mounted gas stove.


I used to use a standalone meths burner with a trivet, sometimes, but the whole kit (stove + bottle) is heavier than system 1, above. What put me off for good, though, was the sight of burning meths trickling through the undergrowth when I accidentally knocked the whole thing over. Luckily, it was a very wet day and there was not too much meths to be chased around and stamped on! Given the increasing propensity of forests and peat moors to catch fire, these days, I'm more cautious than ever. No more uncontrolled liquid fuels for me in the great outdoors and I'm much more careful, too, about the stability of whatever arrangement I do use!

richardh1905

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #41 on: 14:49:28, 21/02/21 »
If you want cheap and lightweight... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvvdLVUJXZc


Very clever - like the way that he trims the cans with a stanley knife blade screwed o a block of wood. But rather complicated. Some mineral wool stuffed inside the end of a tin works just fine.
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richardh1905

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #42 on: 14:54:38, 21/02/21 »
I used to use a standalone meths burner with a trivet, sometimes, but the whole kit (stove + bottle) is heavier than system 1, above. What put me off for good, though, was the sight of burning meths trickling through the undergrowth when I accidentally knocked the whole thing over. Luckily, it was a very wet day and there was not too much meths to be chased around and stamped on! Given the increasing propensity of forests and peat moors to catch fire, these days, I'm more cautious than ever. No more uncontrolled liquid fuels for me in the great outdoors and I'm much more careful, too, about the stability of whatever arrangement I do use!


Good point about forest and moorland fires - commercially available alcohol stoves have absorbent fireproof material inside them to soak up the fuel and prevent a spill, as long as they are not over-filled.


But best of all during a time of really high wildfire risk is to take no stove at all.
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GoneWest

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #43 on: 15:15:13, 21/02/21 »

Good point about forest and moorland fires - commercially available alcohol stoves have absorbent fireproof material inside them to soak up the fuel and prevent a spill, as long as they are not over-filled.


But best of all during a time of really high wildfire risk is to take no stove at all.

My meths burner was a Trangia design, like the one linked to by the OP, which wicks up fuel (in small amounts) into its double wall from a central reservoir. The Speedster design looks much safer. I haven't researched gel stoves, yet, but I might.


Sound advice in your last sentence. I follow it by default because I'm more than happy with cold drinks in the summer months. 8)

Peak

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Re: Alcohol Stove for a quick cuppa
« Reply #44 on: 15:58:22, 21/02/21 »
A gel burner is basically a empty tin, look at the Trangia one, no need to buy one.

 

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